The mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a US Army Blackhawk helicopter that occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of January 29, 2025, brought shock and devastation.
The deadly collision claimed the lives of 67 passengers from both aircraft that ended in the icy Potomac river.
Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said that as of Thursday morning, 27 bodies had been recovered, and by late afternoon that number reached 40. Sadly, the harsh conditions and the huge ice cubes in the waters of the river create difficulties for the operation.
During a news conference, President Donald Trump said, “Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions.
“As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly.”
Witnesses of the deadly mid-air collision shared their accounts of the tragic night.
Abadi Ismail, who was in the Buzzard Point area near James Creek Marina at the time of the tragedy, said, “I have an advantage view of the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, Reagan Airport, the military base. I have cinematic view so I could see everything that is happening from the moment the crash happened [sic].”
When he heard the loud bang, he was watching television.
“It was a bang, bang, very loud bang, bang. Something I’m not familiar with, something you don’t normally hear.”
When he looked through the window, he saw smoke rising from the south side of the Reagan Washington National Airport. Just moments later, he witnessed emergency services, police, and fire trucks arriving at the scene.
“Every resource within DC were heading toward the crash scene. That’s when I took the video. Somewhere around 8:50 p.m. [sic],” he recalled.
“The crash scene is about two miles from where I’m at. Based on what I see, I have friends that work at the DC Park. Based on their analysis on the site, this is not a search and rescue mission at this point. Unfortunately, it’s a recovery mission [sic],” Ismail added.
Another witness, local resident Jimmy Mazeo spoke to WUSA9 and said that at first, he didn’t think much about it and that the collision resembled “shooting stars.”
“We didn’t really think much of it until we saw the fire trucks started going out to the tarmac and the police cars and boats. It was insane,” he said. They only realized that a serious tragedy had taken place once first responders started to arrive.
“I’m really in awe. Of course it’s terrible what happened tonight, but I think that it’s crazy we got to see what happened. I’m praying for all the people involved in this,” he added.
The mid-air collision was also witnessed by Ari Shulman who was driving home Wednesday night on the George Washington Parkway near Ronald Reagan National Airport when a “spray of sparks” on the sky caught his attention.
“I looked back and [the plane] was banked all the way to the right it was illuminated yellow underneath and there was a spray of sparks on the underside,” Schulman told ABC News chief national correspondent Byron Pitts.
Daily Mail obtained a footage of the collision.
The cause of the collision is still unknown. At the time being, officials are investigation the circumstances surrounding the tragic event. They are analyzing air traffic control communications, flight data, and weather conditions.
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